


I Never Forget a Face

by IWonderWhoWeWere



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Heartfelt Conversations Between Enemies, Poorly Moderated Strategy Meetings, That One Bartender, alcohol mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 05:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16804624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IWonderWhoWeWere/pseuds/IWonderWhoWeWere
Summary: The team makes a plan to break Barret and Tifa out of Junon.  Vincent meets an old friend.  Elena has a chat with Yuffie.





	I Never Forget a Face

"I know a guy."

\---

Vincent takes a step into the garishly lit establishment. The drunk man leaning against the counter groans indistinctly. Vincent's boots clack on the tile and glint in the light as he approaches the bartender, a graying man rubbing a rag on an already spotless glass mug.

The bartender barely looks up. He drawls, "I'm sorry! It's all rented out...," then trails off as his eyes focus a bit more, and widen. Hurriedly, "That is, sir, I mean to say all the tables are rented out, but we do still have some seats at the bar!" He gestures with the glass at the stools, which are indeed vacant, as are all of the chairs at all of the tables.

Vincent maintains a steady approach. The bartender continues in a lower voice, "And I'd be much obliged if your associates would take the back room. Plenty of space, fewer prying eyes." Vincent nods vaguely and drifts onto a stool. He taps his claws against the dull metal counter. After what he judges to be a suitably dramatic length, he speaks his mind:

"So you do remember me."

The bartender almost laughs- it shows in his eyes, though he's keeping his face impressively blank. "'Course! I never forget a face!" Then, the beads of sweat starting to show on his forehead, "Unless, of course, sir, I was supposed to?"

Vincent sighs. "No. Be at ease. You're making the help nervous." He waves the team towards the door to the back room.

Behind him, Yuffie says softly, "He really DOES know a guy." Vincent ignores this. He maintains eye contact with the bartender as the rest of the team files through the door.

\---

Cid falls into a chair, seeming to transition instantly from standing to lounging back with his feet on the table. It makes a sound like this: Thump. He looks angry. But he always looks a little angry.

Yuffie claims the softest-looking chair. It's in the corner, thickly padded, and tastelessly green. From her expression as she sinks into it, she feels betrayed by its promise of comfort. But if she stands up to pick a different spot, the chair wins. So she sits.

Cait Sith hops up to the table. Great white moogle arms practically engulf a chair, gently move it aside, and clumsily knock it over anyway. He does not acknowledge his mistake, nor even that anything has happened at all. The cat leans forward and gazes appraisingly at each of them in turn.

Nanaki blinks slowly and shifts his legs a bit. If he waits, someone else will speak first. That's how things go.

Cait Sith gives an exaggerated breath, then speaks. "Let's recap. Barret and Tifa are in custody. Scarlet wants to execute them. We have maybe a few days to get them out. Anyone have any ideas?"

Cid snorts. "Walk right in there and beat some Shinra ass, grab 'em, and blow it all the $%#& up! Since when do the Numbskulls need a plan?"

Cait Sith says, "There are actually too many of them this time-" but is cut off by Cid laughing. The cat and moogle both cross their arms and tap their feet until the coarse sound dies down. "I mean it. You've never fought SOLDIER before, not like this. They're strong. We could take one or two at a time, but twenty? Thirty? No way." Cid looks doubtful, and a little angry. Cait Sith goes on, "Barret hasn't even TRIED to break out. Think about that."

Nanaki decides it could be a good time to chime in. "I think we should strive to be less reckless than Barret, don't you think?" Cid rolls his eyes.

There is silence for a moment.

Yuffie bursts out, "It sure is a shame none of us is a NINJA or something! THAT'd sure come in handy!"

Cid rolls his head towards her. "You damn kid, just because you tricked us once-"

Yuffie shoots back, "I could run circles around you, old fart-"

Nanaki says, "You're suggesting that you can infiltrate the facility by yourself?"

She huffs. "Obviously!"

Cait Sith shakes both his heads. "There's no way. Too many cameras, too many soldiers, too many SOLDIERs-" He's interrupted by Yuffie leaping from her chair directly onto the table.

She shakes her fist at him. "You wanna GO!?" Cid gets to his feet. It makes a sound like this: Thump. He looks slightly angrier than usual.

Nanaki sighs. He's too young for this. He attempts, "Yuffie, in Wutai you had impeccable knowledge of your surroundings. Without that, we could have found you much earlier-"

Cid cuts in, "And saved a lot of trouble-" Yuffie appears to not be sure who exactly to glare at.

Nanaki tries again, "My concern is that you do not have such knowledge of the Junon base. We need a plan of entry."

Yuffie turns to each of them, glowering, and hops back off the table. "You guys suck," she says, storming off.

Nanaki sighs.

Cait Sith mutters, "That could have gone better. We didn't use to argue like that, did we?"

\---

The bartender, now visibly calmer in the emptier room, settles back into his habits. "So what'll it be, sir? It's been quite a few years. And there's a story behind your eye, I'm sure."

Vincent gazes off into the middle distance. "The eye came at the beginning of my nightmare. I gave everything I was, but I could not avert it. We live now under the bleak shadow of a world unaware that its own waking nightmare may never end. While I am content to receive my eternal penance, there are many whose lesser sins deserve no such tragedy."

He nods. "Sounds deep. So, the usual?"

"No," he says. "Too many things have changed. The familiar is no longer so. And I'm... on duty soon."

The bartender grins. "Didn't stop you before, eh?"

Vincent narrows his eyes.

"Right, right, I meant no offense, sir. Well then, how about your associates?"

"Among my associates, two cannot metabolize alcohol, one prefers tea, and one is underage."

As the bartender begins to come to grips with the idea that there might not be any money in this arrangement, Yuffie bursts in from the back. Her face is stormy and her gait is furious. She takes the seat on the other side of Vincent, slams a hand on the counter, and demands, "Get me something hard."

The bartender makes eye contact with Vincent, who says, "Don't do that."

\---

Cait Sith makes a vague gesture. "I might be able to disguise myself as a reporter?"

Cid scoffs. "Yeah, and I could be a dragon. No, there's an easy way."

Nanaki raises his head. "Oh?"

Cid nods once. "I have a plan. I'll tell you real soon." He faces back towards the front and bellows, "WHERE'S MY &$#% TEA?"

\---

Elena takes a deep breath and a step into the bar. It's disgusting inside. The old man behind the counter seems kind of cold and distant. Vincent sits at one end of the bar, Yuffie at the opposite with an untouched glass of ice water.

She has second thoughts, and banishes them. This is the most dangerous part. Reno would remind her not to be so weak. He doesn't get it.

She takes a seat near Yuffie, who tenses immediately. A giant shuriken appears in her hand. Elena holds up both hands, empty, placating. "Relax. I'm off duty today."

The bartender rushes over. "Hey! No weapons! Excuse me, ma'am," he says calmly, "Is this woman bothering you?"

Yuffie relaxes fractionally and replies, "No, she's fine." The look in the old man's eyes makes it very clear that his question was not addressed to her.

Elena explains, "You see, we're two people who share the special bond of having been tied to the same mountain together while waiting for two other separate groups of people to rescue them. That's not a bond that can be broken with a weapon." The bartender backs off. He looks like he thinks she's crazy. That was the point.

She turns back to Yuffie, avoiding touching the counter. She begins, "A lot of people saw you come in here. Your group is pretty obvious."

Yuffie disappears her weapon and takes a sip of water.

Elena clears her throat. "Um. What I mean is... you know what's happening soon, right?"

Yuffie won't look at her. She says icily, "You're going to kill more of my friends. You and your Shinra murderers. Why am I even talking to you?"

Elena tries to remain calm. "I'm a spy, not a murderer." She loses her temper for a moment, just a moment. "You know your friends have killed a lot of people-"

Yuffie snorts. "Yeah, I got the whole story. So now that Shinra owns the world, when people fight back, they're the criminals? No, it's always you. 'It's never been nobody but the damn Shinra,' that's what people say."

Careful training tells Elena that Yuffie is holding back tears, and doing it well. Elena softens her voice. "Some of us are trying to do better. As a Turks, I can help a lot of people. I don't have to hurt them."

From ice to fire. "How? Like what? What's one thing Shinra ever did to help anyone?"

Deep breaths, Elena. You can do this. "I... You know, Scarlet wants to use a gas chamber. For the... event. It's a horrible way to go-"

"And you'd know that? You've SEEN IT?"

Elena nods bitterly. "I don't want to see it again. And it's bad publicity. It's easy to sympathize with someone who's struggling." Wait, wrong speech, "I mean... no one deserves that. Only Scarlet really wants it to go that way. Most of them don't care. And I'm not a murderer. So..."

Understanding is dawning in Yuffie's eyes, along with its close friend, skepticism.

"So I made them let me in to inspect the chamber personally. Someone left the valves in bad condition, and the restraints are loose. It seems pretty escapable." Elena smiles sadly. "It has to look like it works, so that's all I could do."

Yuffie frowns hard. "If you think I can trust that, or that'll make me forgive you..."

Elena shrugs. "Probably not. We all do terrible things. That's just how it is. But I had to tell you that... that there's still time." Damn, couldn't keep her own tears in after all. "Just... try not to lose anyone, okay?"

Yuffie narrows her eyes. "What is this really about? What do you want from me?"

Finally. She steels herself, straightens up, gives her her best serious look. "In return... Reno, Rude, and Tseng are off-limits." She gets up and stalks out. She imagines Yuffie is gaping after her. She doesn't look, it would ruin the exit.

\---

Tea does not seem to be forthcoming.

Nanaki lowers his head. "So that's the whole plan, then? You're going to steal the airship?"

Cid snaps back, "It's not just any airship, it's the HIGHWIND, and it ain't stealing, because I'm the captain!"

Cait Sith looks disappointed in a way that only a stuffed cat can. "The airship isn't any less well-defended than the rest of the base."

Cid pumps his fist. "That's where the crew comes in! They're all with me! We've got a team on the inside!"

Nanaki blinks slowly. "This is actually our least bad idea today, isn't it."

Cait Sith scrunches his nose. "We'd still need a distraction to even get close to the airship. Security's too tight."

Cid brushes that aside. "Ah, hell, we're already a distraction. Just get out there and cause some #^%$ damage, and I'll take care of the rest!"

"...less reckless than Barret, remember?" Nanaki says.

Cait Sith jumps. "Uh, guys? We've got a problem..."

Cid growls, "What is it now?"

Cait Sith leans in. "They say Tifa's going to wake up soon. Scarlet's already moving ahead with it. They're calling in the press."

Nanaki uncurls from the floor. "We need to move. Now."

"Right! Follow me to the skies!" Cid is already halfway out the door, his momentum sweeping Cait Sith up in his wake.

"Wait," Nanaki says. Cait Sith hops to a halt and listens. "You and Yuffie should try to sneak in. Let the rest of us handle the airship. Attacking them on multiple fronts is better strategy."

Cait Sith leans in and says, "Are you sure about that?"

Nanaki flicks his tail. "Yes! Grandfather always said so!"

\---

Vincent follows Cid and Nanaki towards the hangar.

He has no idea what is going on.

\---

Yuffie smooths down the overlarge brown coat around the stuffed Moogle body. "This isn't going to fool anyone," she says.

Cait Sith offers up his paws in resignation. "We have to try."

Yuffie takes a deep breath. "Right. For Barret. For Tifa."

Tifa, waking up to Meteor for the first time, not knowing where anyone was, if anyone was okay, if she could make it...

Yuffie sniffs a bit. She puts on the hat and picks up the camera. If anyone can survive an execution, it would have to be Tifa. She has the scars to prove it. Time to make sure she doesn't have to.

She follows Cait Sith out into the oppressive orange and purple light of the Junon sunset.

**Author's Note:**

> Coda.
> 
> Elena checks her equipment. She's missing some materia.
> 
> She probably should have looked back.
> 
> \---
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
